SophieRose's Profile

I think it could be lovely up there - really private. If you're allowed to paint I'd do rich walls and a darkish blue ceiling with Trompe-l'œil stars, which isn't nearly a hard as it sounds! My mum's bedroom has a Trompe-l'œil hole 'cut' out of it and stars beyond, which really gives it a sense of space. You could gilt and age the spindles, maybe just the twisted ones so its a pertend outside balcony to sleep on... Otherwise I'd definitely get a thinner mattress, personally a real futon is fine for me if it's on wood - and it will do wonders for your back once you're used to it. That would give you another 6' of head height, which will feel like a lot once your up there, as well as making you feel more secure once your lying down. Popluate it with books, and have a cozy lamp up there with a nice heavy base so it doesn't tip over, and maybe a hanging plant to help keep the air fresh.

Salad - I know it sounds a bit weird, but it works!
I use any green leaf based salad that's gone a bit droopy, either in the salad bowl at lunch or in a bag at the grocery. Boil up some broth, with a small potato diced fine or a handful of rice, for body if you want. Once that's soft just dump in the salad, turn it off immediately and wizz it up. The nicest ones are those with spinach or watercress, or a stronger lettuce like Coz, but most things have been ok including dressings, croutons, olives etc. I'm guessing it might not work with really oily things like avocado, but a few tomatoes are a good inclusion. The only trick is to not let it reboil, you just want to just wilt the leaves so it tastes fresh.

I'd bet there is a mirror on the left just inside the door, above the table you can just see? That's certainly where I'd put it - although it's wierd not to have one over the sink.
I'm not so sure about the shelf above the sink myself, I'd be scared of banging my head. Is it higher than it looks, or am I just the last person in the world who washes their face at the sink?

Ants are fairly harmless. If you keep your food put away properly and clean your surfaces, the odd ant that does come in scouting won't find anything to eat, and won't bring it's friends round. Then you won't have to kill anything at all...

Most natural slate, if this is natural, will delaminate if it's got water on it in a freeze - it's the laminar structure that means it can be split into roof slates after all. Basically this means the surface will flake eventually, which will make it less smooth, but just as lovely if you don't mind a more rustic style. The best way to slow or avoid this is to keep it dry when it's cold, either by having it under a veranda or using a furniture cover. Apart from that it will potentially last hundreds of years, like slate gravestones do!

It's interesting to me that people are saying that foam is expensive. I'm pretty sure I could get this amount of decent density, flame retardant, foam for under £50 in most British towns - is it really so much more across the pond? (In contrast I'd expect to pay around £400 for fitted slipcovers, and more like £1000+ for reupholstering, so the diy option certainly would be the affordable quick fix!)

Sure there is - get new foam cut for the cushions, it should be about half an inch bigger all round than the current pads, which will have shrunk. Getting foam cut is pretty cheap in the UK, and I'm sure in the States, but do get the most dense you can afford. Remove the skirt by cutting it carefully as close to the stitching as you can, and if necessary glue a braid over the raw edge with a glue gun. Sew the buttons back on with a strong double thread, going through a piece of felt inside the cover to stop them pulling through (this won't quite be real tufting, but it'll look better than missing buttons - tufting is a bit harder!) Then hire a carpet steamer and clean the whole thing, and wax the legs. Job done. If the arms are ragged you could even use the fabric from the skirt, washed and pressed, to make slipover arm covers.

It's really not that difficult. My mum and I taught ourselves from a book, but there are now YouTube tutorials which makes it much easier. Just search for 'chair caning instructions' and be prepared to cut your thumbs to ribbons before they harden up. You can get kits for the stuff, so if you're not going to do it often you don't have to buy loads of cane in bulk - or if you really can't be bothered you can buy ready done cane webbing in real or plastic, and just fit it like fabric!

What a great freebie! I would give it lots and lots of natural linseed oil to feed the wood, then wax it for a soft shine. Then personally I would re-cane the seat and back, which is nothing like as hard as it looks. My Mum and I learnt from a book, and now there are online videos it's even easier. (You will cut your thumb until it hardens up though!) If you do prefer to upholster it though, I suggest you make separate covered boards to slot in, so that it can still be caned in future if desired. Nail or staple holes will definitely reduce it's value.

Somewhat depends what the fabric is, and how hot it gets. If it's natural wool persistent heating to a high temperature will eventually make it brittle, but most commercial synthetics should be fine. Two feet sounds OK to me, but it might be a good idea to position a thermometer there for a period just to check what the temperature is actually going up to, and also check the fire retardancy standard, the number of which you should find on the label of your sofa (and your blanket), just to make sure you're not exceeding safe limits.